In a city-state where the cost of living soars and the pace of life rarely slows, the decision to raise a large family is becoming increasingly rare. Yet, families like that of James Ong and Quek See Leng, who are raising four children on a single income, are defying the trend with a focus on values over material wealth. Their story, alongside others, highlights a growing challenge for Singapore: a declining birth rate that threatens long-term economic and social stability. In response, the government has introduced the Large Families Scheme, a financial support initiative aimed at encouraging families to have three or more children. But will it be enough to shift deeply entrenched societal norms?
Announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his Budget speech on 18 February 2025, the scheme offers $1,000 per year in Large Family LifeSG Credits for each child up to the age of six. These credits can be used to offset household expenses such as groceries, utilities, and transport. For families like the Ongs, who prioritise a simple lifestyle—eschewing tuition, extravagant holidays, and new clothes in favour of hand-me-downs and park picnics—such support is a welcome relief. “Any money is helpful,” Ms Quek told a local outlet recently. “It takes a load off your mind and gives you freedom to attend to something else, like my kids’ emotional needs.”
A Shrinking Demographic
The urgency of initiatives like the Large Families Scheme is underscored by stark statistics. According to the latest data from Singapore’s Department of Statistics, only 18 per cent of women in 2024 had three or more children by the end of their childbearing years—a sharp decline from 33.5 per cent in 2004. Meanwhile, the largest group, at 41.8 per cent, consists of women with two children. This trend towards smaller families is not merely a personal choice but a reflection of broader pressures: high living costs, career demands, and the intense academic expectations placed on children. 
Dr Tan Poh Lin, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, warns of a “contagious social effect” where smaller family sizes become the norm. “Without interventions and incentives, the natural trend may accelerate,” she notes. Encouraging larger families, she argues, pushes back against this narrative and could reshape fertility preferences over time. The Large Families Scheme, with its targeted financial support, may prove more effective than broader measures like the Baby Bonus, particularly for families on the fence about a third or fourth child, where cost considerations often loom large.
Personal Sacrifices, Profound Rewards
For the Ong family, the decision to prioritise family over career was deliberate. Mr Ong, a 42-year-old self-employed life coach, recalls advice from older relatives who regretted not spending more time with their own children. While peers in their 30s chased professional advancement, he chose to focus on fatherhood, supporting his family on a single income. Ms Quek, 41, who stepped away from youth work after the birth of their third child, echoes this sentiment. “We’ve always felt that money must serve us. We cannot serve money,” she said. Their children—aged three, five, eight, and ten—share bedrooms in a five-room flat, play in public parks, and learn values like resilience and empathy over material gain.
This approach has borne fruit. Their eldest, ten-year-old Nathanael, a school prefect, has been recognised for leadership and academic excellence in English and Chinese. Eight-year-old Alethea, meanwhile, explores interests in gymnastics, art, and violin, with her parents carefully gauging her commitment before continuing lessons. Both children recently received Edusave Merit Bursary and Character Awards, a testament to the couple’s focus on holistic development over financial excess.
Yet, the challenges are undeniable. Ms Quek admits to exhaustion, particularly when they had three children and decided on a fourth to give their youngest a playmate. During a difficult period in 2024, when Mr Ong underwent treatment for a brain tumour, the family relied on savings, insurance, and support from loved ones to get by. Such stories reveal the precarious balance many large families must strike, even with careful planning.
A Broader Support System
Beyond the Ongs, other families offer varied perspectives on the scheme. Norul Izzi, a 36-year-old senior staff nurse with three boys, sees large families as normal within her community. The arrangement works practically—her children entertain each other, and her ageing parents find purpose in caring for their grandchildren. Working part-time while her husband, an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officer, handles shift work, Ms Izzi values the balance between career and family. “When you’re at work, you miss them so much, and then it sets a better tone at home,” she reflects.
Others, however, remain unconvinced by the scheme’s incentives. Annabelle Ang, a 31-year-old mother of two, believes a third child would lower her family’s standard of living. “I hope to give them a good life,” she says, citing aspirations like travel, tuition, and exposure to “slightly finer things.” For her, the financial support falls short of addressing the deeper trade-offs involved.
Janice Chiang and Donovan Low, who unexpectedly welcomed a third child after thinking their family was complete, speak to the emotional complexities of larger families. Ms Chiang, 38 and on no-pay leave from teaching, describes the exhaustion of sleepless nights with baby Matthew, coupled with guilt over reduced time for her older daughters. Yet, she finds joy in watching her girls grow into their roles as sisters. “I feel like I get a chance to relive these moments at a slower pace,” she says. Family hikes and Uno games during nap times reinforce their commitment to making time for each child.
Expert Insights and Policy Implications
Experts see the Large Families Scheme as a step in the right direction but stress the need for a broader ecosystem of support. Professor Jean Yeung, director of social sciences at the A*Star Institute for Human Development and Potential, highlights findings from the Singapore Longitudinal Early Development Study, which indicates that over one in three married couples aspire to have three or more children. Reducing barriers—through subsidised childcare, improved early childhood education, and increased MediSave support—is critical, she argues. Equally important are measures to alleviate work stress for adults and academic pressure on children, alongside flexible work arrangements and longer parental leave.
Combined, these policies could create an environment where children grow up healthier and with greater opportunities to reach their potential, Prof Yeung suggests. The scheme, while focused on financial relief, fits into this larger framework of family-friendly reforms. If successful, it could signal a shift in how Singaporeans view family size, countering the prevailing preference for one or two children.
Dr Tan adds that decisions around additional children are often more sensitive to cost than initial decisions to start a family. Targeted support like the Large Families Scheme, therefore, holds promise where general incentives might fall short. Yet, she cautions that changing social norms requires sustained effort and a narrative shift—a challenge that extends beyond policy to cultural attitudes.
A Question of Values and Vision
At its core, the Large Families Scheme is not just about numbers but about redefining what family means in a high-pressure society. For James Ong, the rewards of raising four children lie not in financial gain but in seeing them grow into well-adjusted individuals. “It doesn’t pay, obviously,” he admits. “But the joys of seeing the kids grow, be well-adjusted, make it worthwhile.”
Singapore’s policymakers are betting that such sentiments, paired with tangible support, can inspire more families to take the leap. Yet, as stories like Annabelle Ang’s reveal, financial incentives alone may not sway those prioritising a certain quality of life. The scheme’s success will likely hinge on whether it can address not just the economic but the emotional and societal barriers to larger families.
If the trend towards smaller families persists unchecked, Singapore risks a demographic crisis with far-reaching implications for its workforce, economy, and social fabric. The Large Families Scheme represents a proactive attempt to avert this future, but its impact remains to be seen. For now, families like the Ongs serve as a reminder that, even in a city driven by ambition, the quiet rewards of family life can still hold profound value.
